Homicide rate in London on the rise; knife crime to blame

FILE - This Monday, Nov. 11, 2013 file photo, shows a view of central London's skyline by the river Thames. Hungerford Bridge, foreground, Big Ben's clock tower and Houses of Parliament, left. The Metropolitan Police said Monday April 2, 2018, the homicide rate in London has increased each month so far this year as the British capital suffers from an increase in knife-related crime. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

April 02, 2018 - 1:58 PM

LONDON - The homicide rate in London so far has increased each month in 2018 as the British capital experiences a rise in knife-related crime.

The Metropolitan Police said Monday there were eight homicide inquiries in January, 15 in February and 22 in March. Police reported another homicide on April 1.

If the upward trend continues, there would be substantially more homicides in London in 2018 than took place in 2017.

The violence has alarmed Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, who believes social media is partly to blame. She says social media enflames young people and normalizes violence, making people more likely to commit major crimes.

Dick has announced a substantial task force to combat street violence and said the use of "stop and search" tactics would be increased.

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